Paddock trees are those ancient trees branching out over the paddock, providing shade on hot sunny days. Often they can be hundreds of years old. Not only do they provide shade for stock, but also a home for a variety of creatures such as birds, lizards, bats and gliders – and these creatures can have a significant impact on devouring insect pests. Studies have also shown that improved water infiltration and nutrient cycling occurs in paddocks with a scattering of trees.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
However, these trees are under threat. Paddock trees are dying from a variety of influences including compaction from stock, cropping and fertiliser application too close to the root system, and spray drift.
The negative impacts are intensified if only a small number of paddock trees are present. Stock camp around the only trees present and leave their manure. These nutrients are taken up by the lonely tree, producing a flush of new delicious growth that attracts a disproportionate number of hungry scarab beetles.
Continued stock camping also leaves the area denuded of vegetation and prone to erosion, which can destabilise the tree. Life can become very out of balance for a lonely paddock tree.
We can plant more paddock trees but they take many years to develop the size and structure of the giants we see today, so existing paddock trees needour care and protection. So it’s well worth considering incorporating existing paddock trees into a tree planting lane or allowing a larger buffer when spraying and fertilising and cropping.
